Hire car and minibus operators in Region Two are being urged to cooperate with the decision of the Anna Regina Town Council (ARTC) to demarcate the Anna Regina car park as part of a move to regularise their operations.
According to the Mayor of the Town Rajendra Prabhulall, the ARTC will implement an orderly system and the demarcation exercise will commence around September 29 and is expected to be completed by mid-October.
A delegation including Regional Chairperson Vilma De Silva, Town Clerk Diane Critchlow, Deputy Commander Courtney Duncan and Head of Traffic Stephen Gobin recently met with members of the hire car association and bus operators at the Anna Regina car park.
During the discussion, the Mayor explained that the demarcation exercise will commence shortly. He said the area will be painted and a special section will be given to hire car and minibus operators.
“The idea is to have all hire cars doing short drops one side, then minibus one side. There will be no vending on the car park itself and eventually we will introduce the turn system” Prabhulall said.
Regional Chairperson De Silva said that the region’s tourism sector is blooming and as so the move is to ensure that tourists visiting the region are comfortable. She advised members of the Hire Car Association to get registered so that they can benefit from the Guyana Tourism Authority training.
“We don’t want people to visit the region [and] to feel uncomfortable. We must have order. Taxi drivers must dress properly. Courtesy must be there and this is what the Association has to ensure,” De Silva said.
She said that the exercise will be done in collaboration with the Traffic Department of the region. Only hire cars and minibuses will be allowed in the car park. Signs will also be erected to guide drivers.
“Fix things”
While some drivers were comfortable with the decision, others doubted that the proposed plans won’t work. Chairman of the Hire Car Association Mohamed Nazmul said that many drivers sustained their livelihood by operating a hire car. He said for them, many times it’s about making the extra dollar on the road and if the ARTC wants to fix things then it has to start from the bottom, which includes getting rid of stray animals on the road.
Nazmul said that drivers will comply if their issues are addressed. He also pointed out that many drivers are operating private cars and are taking business away from them.
The Traffic Department in the region will be working with the drivers to address some of their concerns.
“We will comply once our livelihood is not affected. We support order but then every other thing has to be fixed to make our lives comfortable,” another driver said.
In response, Prabhulall said the council is just implementing an “orderly” system but added that it is also looking at ways to keep stray cattle off the roadways.
